Group B
by MeliRenee1234
Summary: Follow the story of a girl named Tessa, a brave daring girl from Group B, but what will happen when Group B comes in contact with Group A. NEWT LOVE STORY! Disclaimer: I own nothing of TMR series. I'm really bad at summaries! WARNING: If you have not read the Scorch Trials or the Death Cure, read at your own risk because it will contain spoilers
1. Prologue

**WARNING: This FanFic contains things from the Scorch Trials and the Death cure, if you have only read the first book, or have only seen the movie, this will spoil things for you and/or it might not make sense. Read at your own risk.**

Three days we sat in the gym after the maze, three days without a word from anyone before we were finally escorted to a dormitory. Of course the first night when the Cranks broke through the windows and we ran screaming out of the room, into a room brimming of dead bodies hanging by the sealing, making all of us sick to our stomachs. We went to seek help from Aris, but we were surprised to see a girl in his place. She said her name was Teresa and when a rat looking man came to talk to us about our next trial, Teresa showed much hatred against some guy named Thomas, claiming he was depraved and we had to kill him, I didn't really like the thought of killing anyone actually, he must have done something awful, I mean Teresa will never say what, but that doesn't matter now, we have to find the cure, and the only way to that is to capture Thomas and do as Teresa said. She's the leader although she was never in Group B to begin with, and personally I think she can be a bit overbearing, and if anything Harriet or Sonya should be the leader, Rachael who seemed to know things was dead, and there was no way she could help us now. We have been traveling underground where the suns scorching rays won't get to us, soon we will reach Group A, where we can get Thomas, and get the cure, so this whole thing will be over.


	2. Chapter 1

"Okay so do we all know the plan?" Teresa asked right before we turned a corner on the mountain.

"Yes," Harriet sighed in annoyance "we surround your former group then get this so-called Thomas, bag him and bring him up the mountain, where we will bring him back to the camp, then take him to the thing where WICKED told you and kill him, where we then journey on to the safe haven to get the cure."

Teresa gave her a look indicating she didn't like her attitude.

"So why do we have to kill him?" Sonya asked

"Because Thomas is bad, nothing good is from him," Teresa said sternly

"What'd he ever do you?" I spoke up

Teresa turned to me pure hate and betrayal showed in her eyes, "I don't want to talk about it, just know he can't be trusted."

The day was cloudy obvious another one of those lighting storms was coming, we had made out way to the dusty sandy ground, in the far off distance we saw what looked like a pack of aunts walking towards us, but we knew it was the other group.

"That's them!" Teresa yelled over the wind, "By the looks of it their running, if we can run and catch up we could easily get there in twenty minutes, be careful their fast runners, but they don't have any weapons. Everyone get their weapons ready. Tessa I want you next to me, your my best target shooter, I might need you to shoot anyone who doesn't cooperate, one of them has a mouth on 'em."

After about fifteen minutes of straight on running we slowed down to a jog, it was obvious the other group had spotted us, they had stopped.

"Everyone ready?" Teresa turned around and asked "It's now or never."

"Let's go!" Harriet yelled and we took off running toward the group I had my arrow out and ready to shoot although I hoped I wouldn't have to.

We surrounded the group, there was more of us than them, my eyes quickly landed on a familiar boy Aris, he looked so odd, with the group of boys, but yet he looked like he actually belongs, a confused look ran on his face as he looked around wondering why his former group was pointing all kinds of weapons toward the group he stood with. My eye caught on one of the boys who was looking at me, he had blonde hair and he was tall, I quickly looked away. I noticed a girl their, who? I didn't know, she wasn't from our group, and she couldn't have been from ours, my thoughts we're interrupted when one of the boys started shouting at Teresa.

"What's this crap about, Teresa? Nice way to treat your long-lost buddies."

Teresa walked forward stopping a couple feet in front of the boy who was shouting and the blonde boy who kept looking at me.

I looked down at the ground wondering if some blood bath was going to take break out due to all the tension in the air.

I snapped my head up when I heard a different accent come from one of the boys.

"Teresa?" It was the blonde boy, "What the bloody-"

"Shut up" Teresa snapped at him. She brought the spear up swinging it back in forth. Neither of the boys said anything as she moved past them to stand in front of a boy.

"Teresa, what's-" the boy started

"Shut up" She said it calm, but stern

The boy continued

"But what-"

Teresa reared back and swung the butt of her spear at him, smashing it into his right cheek. The boy crumpled to his knees, holding his face.

"I said shut up." She reached don and grabbed him by the shirt, jerked it up until he stood up. "Is your name Thomas?" It was an odd question considering she was a part of that group to begin with.

"You know who I-" he was cut off again when Teresa swung the spear crashing it into the side of his head. "You know who I am!" the boy screamed

There was blood on him, it was obvious he was in pain, and I couldn't help but feel concern, I looked away, when I noticed the blonde guy yet again looking at me, by the expression on his face it was obvious he was thinking, but when he noticed I noticed he was looking he changed his face and casually turned to watch Teresa and the boy.

"Now I'm going to ask you one more time. Is your name Thomas?" Teresa said calmly

"Yes!" he yelled "My name is Thomas!"

Teresa slowly backed away so she was standing next to me again.

"You're coming with us," she called out. "Thomas. Come on. Anyone tries something the arrows fly."

"No way!" the boy with the mouth yelled, "You're not taking him anywhere." He was definitely the boy with the mouth Teresa warned us about. Teresa ignored his comment and continued "This isn't some game. I'm going to start counting. Every time I hit a multiple of five my friend Tessa here, is going to kill one of you with her arrows, she's amazing with the bow, and I don't think she'll miss your heart. She'll do it until Thomas id the only one left, and then we'll take him anyway. It's up to you."

I looked at Teresa, I knew shock fell on my face and it was obvious to everyone that I didn't want to kill anyone, that I didn't have the guts to, I just looked at her, in return she looked at me and then at my bow indicating to get it ready to shoot.

"One!"

It was silent for a moment and I was afraid he wouldn't walk but Thomas walked forward, "Fine, Take me."

"I only made it to one." Teresa said

"Yeah. I'm really brave that way."

Teresa hit him again with the spear making him drop to the ground

"Bring the bag!" Teresa shouted, Harriet and Jane brought the bag forward

"We're taking him with us! If anybody followed, I'll hit him again and we'll start shooting you. We won't really bother aiming. Just let the arrows fly any odd way they feel like."

"Teresa!" The boy with the mouth shouted, "You catch the Flare that quickly? Your mind's obviously gone already."

Just then Teresa smashed the but of the spear not Thomas' head making him land face first in the dirt.

"Anything else you wanna say?" Teresa asked. After a long moment of silence, she said, "Didn't think so. Put the bag over him." Harriet and Jane slipped the bag over his head down to his feet.

"Teresa! Don't do this to me!" Thomas yelled through the bag. Teresa punched him in the stomach.

"Since you obviously don't care about yourself," Teresa said, "talk again and we'll start shooting your friends. That sounds good to you?"

When Thomas didn't respond she yelled to the group of boys "I meant what I said! There won't be a warning. Follow us and the arrows start flying."

Five girls were dragging Thomas when the dark haired boy shouted "Don't worry, we'll find you when the times right."

Teresa stopped then yelled "Tessa, you and Jessica stay behind until we're sixty feet away. If one of them follows or try's to attack shoot them."

"We're not scared of some girls with weapons!" The boy with the mouth shouted again

"Really?" Teresa said looking directly at the dark haired boy "Tessa I think he could use a little trip off the top."

I hesitated only a moment before shooting the arrow directly over the dark hair of the boy, touching the top pieces sticking out.

"Let's move!" Teresa said and the rest of our group took off towards the mountain.

Once The group was out of earshot the dark hair boy with the mouth spoke up "I bet you two shanks think you're so powerful with your arrows, but if you touch anyone else with your shuck arrows, we'll be ruining your pretty little faces you slintheads."

I just rolled my eyes, but the blonde hair boy spoke up "Slim it Minho."

"I will not _slim it_." he said again

"Minho? Is that your name?" I asked

"Yah, you got a problem with it?"

"No, it's just Teresa said one of you had a mouth on you, I figured it was you, and wanted a name to go with the mouth."

The blonde one laughed, but stopped after receiving a dirty look from Minho.

"Hey at lest he thinks I'm funny" I said motioning to the blonde boy who was looking at me.

"He can shuck it"

"Minho, I'll do whatever I bloody please, I'm Newt. I like you." The blonde haired boy said obviously trying to annoy Minho.

"Oh shuck it!" Minho said

"Tessa, we otta go." Jessica said

"No one follow! I'm not in the mood to shoot someone. "I said backing away arrow in bow. "Okay Jess, let's go.


	3. Chapter 2

When we reached the cave they we're tying up the boy from group B. They fed him so he wouldn't complain and then everyone got settled back on their pallets and rested until it was time to go back out again, while Teresa disappeared off somewhere.

My pallet was next to Harriet and Sonya's. I went over to prepare myself for sleep when Sonya leaned over to me and whispered "do we really have to kill him?"

"That's what the queen wants," she said motioning to where Teresa went.

"He doesn't look bad or like he's going to go on a vicious attack" I said stealing a glance at Thomas, but quickly looking away when he noticed. "And plus the other group doesn't seem so bad I mean Aris is still alive."

"That's what I was thinking but Teresa seems so full of hatred, and WCKED wants us to kill him, I started doubting." Sonya said unsure.

"I can't live with killing someone, what Beth did to Rachel, and all the girls we lost to the Grievers, it makes me sick," Sonya said looking at Thomas.

"_You guys don't really wanna kill me, do you?"_ It was Thomas. "Have you ever killed anyone before?"

Harriet put on her tough face and gave him a harsh glare, then lied down. But then propped herself up on her elbow. "Based on what Teresa told us, we escaped our maze three days faster than your group did. Lost fewer people and killed more Grievers to do it. I think knocking off one little insignificant teenage boy won't be too tough."

"Think of the guilt you'll feel." He was obviously trying to dig this thought in us and honestly I'd been feeling guilt since the day we found out about this plan.

"We'll get over it." she stuck her tongue out at him, then put her head down and closed her eyes.

Sonya still looked at him, "We don't have a choice. WICKED said that was our only task. If we don't do it, they won't let us in at the safe haven. We'll die out here in the Scorch."

"Hey, I understand. Sacrifice me to save yourselves. Very noble." Thomas shrugged

Sonya held his gaze obviously not giving up the fight, but she finally looked away and laid back down.

Thomas smirked a little, obviously relishing in his defeat "You're still not getting out of this." I said

"That's doesn't mean I won't stop trying to sweet talk my way out of It." he said with a grin. I laughed silently.

"What are you talking about?" Teresa walked over.

"Nothing" Harriet mumbled. "Tell him to shut up."

"Shut up" Teresa said

Thomas huffed a sarcastic laugh, and I couldn't help but try to not laugh from Teresa actually doing something Harriet said. "What're you gonna do, kill me if I don't?"

Teresa didn't answer.

"Why do you hate me all of a sudden? Thomas asked. "What did I do to you?"

Now that caught the attention of a few of the girls, me, Sonya and Harriet turned out heads to watch.

"You know what you did. So does everyone here- I told them all about it. But still I wouldn't have sunk to your level and tried to kill you. We're only doing that because we have no choice. Sorry. Life's tough." Teresa Spat

"What are you talking about, _sink_ to my _level?_ I'd never kill a friend to save my own butt. Never."

"Me neither. Which is why I'm glad we're not friends." She started to turn away.

Thomas mumbled something out of ear shot from us but it set Teresa on edge because she started to yell "Don't insult me. Don't you dare sit there and act like nothing happened. Now shut up or I'll give you another bruise on that pretty face of yours." And then she stomped off.

Thomas shifted and then leaned his head on the wood stick he was tied to and it looked like he fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 3

The light was dimming to a dull gray as the sun sank to a horizon. Sonya, Harriet, and I stared at Thomas we knew Teresa was hiding something, and we knew he was the only other one who knew what.

"Good evening," Thomas said with fake enthusiasm. "Can I help you ladies?"

"We want to know what you know," Harriet said quietly, startling me, she asked the question we all wondered.

"Why should I help you?" Thomas said back harshly, but something soon changes by the look in his eye.

"I don't think you have much choice," Harriet said. "But if you share whatever you've learned or figured out, maybe we can help you."

Thomas started to look around "Where is-"

Sonya interrupted him. "She said she wanted to scout the area to see if your friends followed us. Been gone for about an hour."

"Does that mean you guys are having second thoughts about killing me?" it sounded stupid, and by the look on Thomas' face he knew it too.

Harriet smirked. "Don't go jumping to conclusions. And don't think we've gone all righteous. Let's just say we have our doubts and want to talk- but you odds are slim."

Sonya piped up. "The smartest thing right now seems to be to do what we were told. There are a lot more of us than you. I mean, come on. If it was _your _decision, what would you do?"

"Pretty sure I'd choose the option of not killing myself."

"Okay we're getting nowhere." I said turning to Sonya.

"Don't be a jerk." She said to Thomas. "This isn't funny, if you could choose, and the two options were you die or all of us die, which one would you pick? This is all about you or us." After a long pause Sonya obviously growing impatient added "You gonna answer?"

"I'm thinking." He paused "Okay, I'm being honest here. I promise. If I were in your shoes, I'd choose not to kill me."

"Okay I'm officially done with this." I said getting up with annoyance and walked out of the cave.

From the distance the sun was lingering just enough on the horizon to light up the sky below, and that's when I noticed it. The small group of people walking together… no doubt group A. It brought me back to earlier that day with Minho and how much sass he has in him, I almost started laughing remembering the conversation, and then I remembered the one light haired boy who stop up for me… what was his name… Newt. He was nice; I liked him… to bad I'd have to hate them or else get banded from my group.

"Tessa!" It was Sonya, "Come back in we're having a group meeting."

"All right," Harriet said. "You talk first, then we will."

Thomas nodded and cleared his throat. "All I know about your group is what I learned from Aris. And it seems like we went through pretty much the same thing inside the Maze. But since we escaped, lots of things have been different. And I'm not sure what you know about WICKED."

Sonya cut in. "Not much."

"Well, I've learned a lot about them. All of us are special in some way- we're being tested or something because they have plans for us. A lot of the things they're just part of the trials- what WICKED calls the Variables. Seeing how we react in certain situations. I don't understand all of it, not even close, but I think this whole thing about killing me is just another layer. Or another lie. So … I think this is just about Variable to see what we'll all do."

"In other words," Harriet said, "you want us to risk _our _lives because of this brilliant deduction."

"Don't you see? Killing me has no _point_. Maybe it's a test for you, I don't know. But I do know that I can help you if I'm alive, not if I'm dead."

"Or," Harriet replied, "We're being tested to see if we have the guts to kill our competitors' leader. Isn't _that _the whole point? See which group succeeds? Weed out the weak and leave the strong?"

"I haven't even _been _the leader- Minho has." Thomas shook his head. "No, think about this. How are you showing any strength by killing me? I'm way outnumbered and you have all these weapons. How does that prove who's stronger?"

He had a good point.

"Then what _does _it have to do with?" Amanda, a small tan girl called from the back.

"I think it's a test to see if you'll think for yourself, change plans, make rational decisions. And the more of us there are the better odds we have of making it to the safe haven. Killing me makes no sense, does no one any good. You've proven any power you needed to by capturing me. Show them you won't blindly take it all the way." And then he relaxed against the tree, seeming as if he gave up.

"Interesting stuff," Sonya said. "Sounds a lot like something a person who's desperate not to die would say."

Thomas shrugged obviously tired from arguing "I really feel like it's the truth. I think that if you kill me, you'll have failed the rest of the test WICKED is throwing at you."

"Yeah, I _bet_ you think that." Harriet said. Then she stood up. "Look to be honest; we've been thinking the same types of things. But we wanted to see what you had to say. Sun should be down soon, and I'm sure Teresa will be back any minute. We'll talk about it when she gets here."

Yah, I'm sure Teresa will go for that.

Thomas spoke up quickly. "No! I mean, she's the one who seems the most gung ho about killing me. I think you guys should make the decision."

"Calm down" I said with a smile "If we decide not to kill you, there's nothing she can do about it because last time I checked she's not the leader of this group Harriet is."

"We'll figure it out." Harriet said reassuring her.

After the darkness grew deeper and deeper, Teresa finally appeared

"We need to talk" Harriet was the first to talk as soon as Teresa stepped in.

We all moved away from Thomas and Teresa started whispering furiously. "What is going on?"

"We're not killing Thomas! He's done nothing wrong!" Harriet stated

"I told you exactly what he did!" Teresa spat back

"No you just told us how much we should hate him, because you hate him and said we're killing him without a reasonable explanation." Sonya yelled whispered

"But WICKED said-"

Teresa was caught off by Harriet "WICKED can stick it! We we're never told by WICKED we were told by YOU! And last time I checked you're not a part of Group B."

"Fine whatever, get yourself killed." And then she stomped off to her pallet

"Tessa go cut Thomas loose." Sonya said with glee.

I walked over without saying a word. I knelt down and untied the rope securing him to the dead tree.

"Well?" Thomas asked me. "Did you guys decide anything?

I didn't answer until I'd completely freed him. Then I stood up and smile as I said "Today's your luck day. We decided not to kill your puny butt after all. It can't be coincidence that we've all been thinking the same things deep down."

Thomas laughed than looked at me oddly.

"What?" I asked wondering what I did that was wrong.

"Nothing you just remind me of my friend, in the other group, newt." And then he turned to Harriet who started talking "But I tell you what, Teresa does not like you. I'd watch my back around her if I were you."

Newt… once again I found myself thinking of my once enemy, now not enemy, and it was weird.


	5. Chapter 4

Everyone was quiet as we ate and prepared to leave. Soon we started making our way through the dark pass of the mountains, heading for the safe haven that was on the other side. Hours went by and all we saw were dead trees and tumbling rocks as we made the long journey back down. I couldn't help but wonder what would happen when we got there. Would it be too late? No it couldn't be too late as long as we got there in the appropriate time period that we were told. What if we see the other group? Will they kill us; I mean I know we have better weapons and more members in our group but they are all stronger and could easily take on at least two of us? What if they use seduction? Why am I even thinking this in what ways could that happen they are dirty smelling boys with messy hair and messed up cloths and probably sunburned, it could never happen. But has it already happen?

"Sorry we dragged you through the desert in a bag," it was a soft voice that cut through, Harriet; she was talking to Thomas in the back.

"Oh, no problem, it felt good to take a load off for a while." Thomas said back, I could feel him smile.

_I shouldn't be listening on their conversation._ I thought to myself, although it wasn't some serious conversation it was still rude.

After what seemed like forever Carissa, one of the runners, from when we were on the maze shouted we had just crossed the Pass. The ground looked like a black see and the moon was on the horizon.

"Everyone start heading north!" Sonya yelled over all the girls. The mountain took off in many different directions that all ended with a steep way down.

After about a gazillion more hours we reached the flat surface of dust and we're about two hours away from the safe haven. I lingered in the back growing tired. It was quiet and it was peaceful to think, but my thoughts we're shaken when I heard faint yelling behind us.

Group A. About a mile or two behind us now at the base of the mountain we had come down from an hour earlier. I couldn't help but smile to myself. Despite everything we all had one main goal to get to the safe haven and it _almost_ seemed as if we were one big group. Almost.

I guess at some point we slowed down and the other group sped up because I could now see who was who and what they we're wearing and could here a few of their conversations, but mostly I could hear Minho yelling at the rest of his group for being so slow.

"Hey!" it was quiet and foreign sounding but as it grew closer it became recognizable "Wait hold on!" and then the sound of feet hitting pavement picked up. "Tessa?" I felt a hand grab my arm. I look at my arm and then at the face, the hand belonged to "it is Tessa right?" it was him. I shook my head as to say yes. "Newt," he smiled then laughed "I wasn't sure if you remembered." Then he did the most adorable thing ever. He laughed, again.

"I'm surprised you're talking to me." I said looking at my feet.

"Why?"

"Because I'm the enemy, I mean I shot an arrow above your friends head."

I could feel him smile "ah Minho deserved it; he needs to learn when to bloody shut up."

I couldn't help but laugh, way louder than was needed.

"Why are you laughing?" I could tell he didn't understand.

I shook my head and tried not to laugh again but failed and practically fell into Newt.

"No but seriously what's so funny?"

"Nothing, it's just your accent is adorable."

"Oh that's what you want to hear from a pretty girl, you sound adorable."

_He thinks I'm pretty?_

"Excuse me Prince Charming?" the voice came from behind us, "But could you stop dallying with the opponent and help me answer a question."

"Minho, what a pleasant surprise." Newt said not looking at him "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Why are Thomas, Teresa, and Aris behind us?" we all turned around to see the three small ant figures come closer.

"Good question why don't you ask them." Newt shot back.

"You worthless piece of klunk." Minho said before walking off.

After a while we came to a halt due to an orange stick with a small white ribbon tied on it, the safe haven. Everyone wilted around, waiting for something miraculous to happen.

"It's about time you slowpokes caught up with us!" Minho yelled at the three figures approaching." They quickly talked and then Minho yelled _"You guys make a path!"_

Everyone slowly made a path for them to walk through.

* * *

Thirty Five minutes left. And the storm was on the verge of breaking. A crack of thunder spread through the clouds and then shouting.

"What's that!"

About thirty five feet from the group, a large section of the desert ground was opening, and what came out of it got everyone on their feet.

Where there had once been desert ground now a hard blacktop laid, holding odd objects on top of it. It was oblong and white with rounded edges. Everyone who made it out of the Maze alive had seen it before, the _Griever Pods_.


	6. Chapter 5: Part 1

**CHAPTER 5: PART 1 OF 2**

"Hey" Thomas yelled

Newt and Minho moved over by them to talk when Harriet Sonya and I joined them

"What are you guys talking about?" Harriet interrupted

"Oh, great," Minho muttered. "The two queens of glorious Group B." he was referring to Harriet and Sonya, then his eyes looked at me "and they brought their arrow throwing princes." Newt shot him a look and I pretended not to notice.

Harriet acted like she hadn't heard. "I'm assuming you saw those pods back in your WICKED chamber, too. They had to be where the Grievers charged up or whatever it was they did."

"Yeah," Newt said. "Gotta be that."

The sky above cracked and an abnormally large bolt of lightning shook the sky, the wind grew heavier and the smell of rain started to settle back in the air. "We've only got twenty-five minutes. We're either gonna be fighting Grievers or we need to get inside those big coffins at the right time. Maybe they're the-"

Before he could finish a sharp high pitched hiss cut through the air. It caused everyone to clamp their hands over their ears to protect them from the noise.

A line of dark blue light had appeared on the outside of the white pods, catching everyone's attention. They pods began to open, like the lid of a coffin. Everyone started moving closer, to where everyone was touching and to see we were surrounded by thirty or so pods.

The lids continued to move up, one after the other. Something bulky was inside each of them. Nothing moved, and whatever was in there was not grievers. Thomas, Minho, and Newt stepped forward to go check, but as they each extended a foot, something fell out over the sides of the pod, and it did this with every single one.

A twisted arm hung over the edge. The hand held four fingers. They twisted and turned and scraped, and wiggled themselves out of the pods. The creatures looked to have a lightbulb glued to its head.

The beasts had all managed to get out of the pods, it was hardly human shaped, though a few feet taller, its body was naked and thick, pockmarked and wrinkled. But what was most horrific were the popping growths that glowed with orange. When it caught its balance on the ground, when they all did, they looked at us as a group in unison, it had no face.

In unison, the creatures raised their arms until they pointed their arms toward the sky. Then all at once think blades shout out of the tips of their fingers, and toes. With one more flash of lightning in the air, they let out an uneasy moan…. And attacked.


	7. Chapter 5: Part 2

**CHAPTER 5:PART 2**

We were all in a tight packed circle. I'm squeezed next to Newt when I hear a "Now!" It was barely audible over the crack of thunder "Charge them!" And we start for the faceless human like creatures. I immediately shoot the arrow in the creature's shoulder it landed on one of the odd growths popping it and an orange goo like firework burst out. The creature seemed taken aback. A squeal of pain was let out by the cratered as it slowly made its way forward again. I shot another arrow at its stomach but it became unaffected I shot three more arrows one hitting the orange growths slowing it down again.  
It instantly dawned on me that the only way to defeat them was to destroy all the growths.  
"You have to pop the growths on them!" I yelled over the crack of thunder and wind to anyone who heard. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Newt stick his knife is one of the creatures boils again and again.  
I was so focused on popping the growths that I hadn't noticed the storm had finally come as a bolt of lightning made its way down.  
"Tessa!" I heard someone cry, Newt maybe? I wasn't sure. But suddenly I felt something grab me out of my position and tackle me to the ground. Their body landed on mine it was heavier but I didn't notice the weight or the pain of landing on my bow. I was too busy watching the black smoke that had appeared at the spot I had been standing moments before. The creature that I had been fighting was burnt to a crisp. I looked up to see who had landed on me, it was Newt. He was looking at the spot I had been standing at moments before. He looked down a look of relief flooded his face. "Thank God" I heard him mumble. "That bolt of lightning almost bloody struck you." Another crack of thunder soured through the air as a cue to let all its tears out. It was completely pouring down on us.  
"Come on man let's go!" Minho yelled at Newt. Newt scrambled off of me and onto his feet. Quickly, he extends a hand. I accepted it and he pulled me up.  
Newt quickly slid another gash into the creatures boils. It had made its way to us during the lighting strike quickly he piped the last of the growths making the creature spasz out before instantly going still. It was dead. Newt stood there taking deep heaving breaths.  
"We need to find shelter until times up." Newt yelled at me and Minho over the pounding rain and roaring thunder.  
"We have five minutes I think we can manage." Minho yelled over the rain. As on cue a bolt of lightning struck the ground a foot away, shaking the ground making me jump into Newt. He had his feet firmly on the ground and caught me before I fell. I groaned tired of all the thunder and death and rain. I rested my head on Newts shoulder, finding myself getting a headache. He didn't seem to mind because I felt him wrap his arms around me, despite all the rain and thunder and lightning that struck around everywhere I actually felt safe in the grasp of Newt. "Its gunna be okay." He said into my ear.  
"One minute" someone yelled.  
Suddenly an artificial sounding noise cut through the air, I looked up but I couldn't see anything through the rain I could barely make out Newts face that was only a few inches from mine. The sound became louder and the wind became stronger and I could start to see a floating figure above. It landed on the ground just as the time had hit the times up.  
"Okay everyone let's make out ways to that floating air thing." Minho yelled over the storm. Newt released his arms from around me. And I suddenly felt the warmth of his body gone and I became cold. But he quickly grabbed my hand as we made our way toward the odd shaped machine.  
I couldn't see it that good, I could barely make out the figures of what looked like people standing their but they didn't move. And the orange glow of more of those odd faceless humans appeared around the people coming our way. "Okay everyone we fight through the rest of these monsters and get out of here!"

Quickly we all fought against the creatures. I shot an arrow at the first boil but missed and the creature came closer, the rain making my arrows slippery, I tried again missing completely the creature's sharp blade like claws clasped into my skin as I let out a yell of pain quickly kicking the creature away. It landed on its back here I aimed for a boil with my arrow, it hit it, watching it explode with a pop. Then the second and third until there was one left and I quickly finished it off with one last shot. I looked over to see Newt straddling his with one boil left, his bad leg in favor, "shoot the last one!" He yelled at me and I quickly aimed at the orange growth on its head and released the bow. It made a final pop sound and the creature was dead. Everyone had finished killing all the creatures, the ship was only a few feet away when it started descending into the air.  
"It's leaving!" Thomas screamed and pointed "hurry!"  
Everyone one started running, a lot of the girls in front of me, Newt with his limp next to me. The first couple of girls, including Harriet dove onto the ship; Newt reached the ship before I did and climbed on it. It kept escalading, and it started to become higher. The ship was five feet away from me. Two other people reached it at the same time I did, we all clasped onto the side of the ship, struggling to pull ourselves up on the wet slippery metal. One of my hands slipped and I was hanging on my one hand with fingers that started slipping, I thought I would fall and was done for. I was hanging on my three fingers until I felt a hand grasp around my wrist starting to pull me up, "give me your other hand" it was Harriet who yelled it, it took all my strength to pull my other arm up but another hand clasped my wrist and both hands pulled me up. I landed on my stomach when I fully got in the ship.  
I quickly look up seeing the other hand had been Newts. "I'm glad you made it, I was afraid I almost lost you" Harriet said, not hiding the relief in her voice. She smiled at me before turning to talk to Sonya about something. To be honest Newt looked more relived then I felt and he came over giving me a hug. I muttered a quiet "thank you". He released the hug and smiled back. "Well we made it through the bloody stage two." Newt said, and I couldn't help it anymore I didn't care who saw I planted a kiss smack on the boys lips. It was obvious he was shocked at first but he kissed back, and I felt the oddest weight lifted off my shoulders that I'd felt since the first day I met him. When I pulled away I felt the heat rising to my cheeks so I looked down fiddling with my thumbs. Neither one of us said anything for a few seconds until Newt spoke up "Tessa? What happened to your arm?"

I looked down to see my arm bleeding from three different cuts. I was about to answer when a man with a tough voice spoke up "who are these people?" He said pointing a gun at Brenda and Jorge. "Somebody answer me!"

"They helped us get through the city; we wouldn't be here if it weren't for them." Thomas spoke up.

"You...picked them up along the way?"

"We made a deal with them. Promised they'd get the cure, too. We still have fewer people than we started with."

"Doesn't matter" the man said "we didn't say you could bring citizens!"

"Well you told us to come here and we did what we had to do!"

"Sometimes I forget how little you people understand what's going on. Fine, you can keep one of 'em. The other goes. "

"What do you mean...the other goes?"

The man clicked something on the gun and I suddenly started to feel light headed. I looked back to my arm to see a puddle of blood beneath my arm, between Newt and me. He hadn't seemed to notice.

"We don't have time for this! You have five seconds to choose the one who stays. Don't choose and they both die. One-" the man counts pointing the gun at Brenda's head.

"Wait!"

"Two... Three... Four! Choose right now or they both die!"

"Kill her." Thomas said pointing at Brenda. In all honestly I was shocked I thought something was going on between the two of them.

The man went over and grabbed Brenda about to throw her out of the opening, until Thomas got up, hitting the man and knocking him on the ground. Brenda flew to the side Teresa grabbed her and pulled her away from the edge. At some point in that time the gun had been dropped and Thomas had grabbed it.

"No one else dies," Thomas said pointing the gun at the man. "If we haven't done enough to pass your stupid test, then we fail. The tests are over."

The oddest thing happened next the man stood up, and the doors closed behind him so that no one had to worry about tumbling down and out.

"My name's David." The man said. "Your right it's over. It's all over."

"Yeah we've heard that before. But this time we mean it, were not your test monkeys. We're done."

"I mean it. All I ask is you'll listen. I'm sure you want to know why you were tested and why we want you, who's behind all this? Soon you will know and all we ask is you listen."

"No more game." Thomas said

"First sign of trouble," Minho added, "We start fighting, If that means we die so be it."

David smiled "you know that's exactly what we predicted you'd do at this point." He motioned to a small door. "Shall we?"

Newt spoke up this time "what's next on the bloody agenda?"

Newt still hadn't noticed the puddle of blood grow thicker and darker. I felt week and faint as I could barely keep my eyes open. It took every ounce of strength in me to stay siting up against the wall.

"Just thought you'd like to eat something, maybe take a shower. Sleep. It's a very long flight." He said looking at everyone.

Sleep. That's all I thought of as I felt myself become weaker. I let my blood loss take me. I stopped holding myself up and fell to the side.

The next thing I heard was a "oh my gosh." and "Tessa!" And "blood!" before everything went black.


	8. Chapter 6

When I woke a bright light blinded me making me squint back in pain, my head felt heavy and I felt weak and groggy.

"Well it's about time you're awake." I heard the voice but couldn't find the body. "You lost a lot of blood, thankfully though they had someone on the drone who knew what they were doing, got you stable enough until you got here and they rushed you in."

I sat up slowly, my head was spinning. The nurse in the room looked young and neither, she talked way more than anyone else from WICKED did, and I used this to my benefit. "How long was I out?"

"About two days, not a big deal except you had all of us worried, lost a lot of blood, not to mention the poison."

"Poison?!" I said louder than meant.

"Yeah, that attack y'all faced, one of them scratched you and got its poison in your blood, but no matter now you're all good."

"Where is everyone?"

"Oh they're just fine, probably hanging around in the old auditorium."

"She can I see them?"

"After I get you some food in your system, showered and changed into some cloths then I'll wheel you there myself, you're still too weak to walk."

"When who'll I be able to walk?"

"In a few days, when you get your strength back."

She places a trey in front of me, if contained a bowl of some kind of broth with meat, a piece of bread and a glass of some dark red substance.

I ate slowly and wiped the red liquid that turns out to be juice, the nurse helped me into a connecting bathroom and left me to shower, I took of my hospital gown and noticed how bruised and cut up my body was, it made me shudder, using the railing on the walls I went and day on a plastic chair the nurse left in the shower, I turned on the hot water and just sat.

When I got out I noticed a pair of fresh cloths folded neatly in a pile on the counter. I changed into the dark blue pants that hung tightly to my legs and the loose white shirt. I paused the button on the wall to indicate to the nurse I was ready. She wheeled me out and down a long white corridor. It was cold and there was no windows. When we came to a pair of dark wooden double doors she pushed it open to reveal an old auditorium. There were people scattered throughout, they all looked happy, everyone was talking and smiling and I couldn't help sigh in relief as I thought it's finally over.

Sonya noticed me first. "Tessa!" She yelled and ran towards me. She hugged me and when I winced when she touched my bandaged arm she quickly pulled back.

Harriet was next to her "it's good to see you didn't die."

"Thanks"

And then I heard the voice. "Well I'm certainly glad you're here, for a minute back on the helicopter I thought I had lost you." Newt. He was standing there right in front of me. He took the wheel chair and wheeled me to a spot where everyone was

"Here let me help you out."

"It's okay, I've got it." I said as I weakly pushed myself out of the chair and into another chair.

Newt sat down next to me and they all continued their conversation.

"Well we got one back maybe Thomas will be back soon."

"Yes but Thomas didn't get hurt like she did." A boy with a deep voice said pointing at me.

"Well maybe they found something on him during the medical checkups." Sonya said.

"Yeah like those shuck faces aren't telling us anything just because he's sick." Minho mocked.

"I wouldn't worry." It was Teresa who said something now. "We'll see Thomas when it's time."


	9. Chapter 7

Apparently that time was weeks later. We were all sitting in the old auditorium, my cut almost completely healed and then the doors opened, heads turned and in walked Thomas with a huge smile on his face.

"Well I've been shucked and gone to heaven. It's Thomas!" Minho yelled. After him a lot of cheers went around the room.

Newt who was sitting beside me got up and greeted Thomas "Well at least you didn't bloody roll over and die." He squeezed his hand.

"The mighty Gladers back together again. Good to see yah alive, shuck-face. I've imagined you dead in about a hundred different ways. I bet you cried every night, missing me." Minho said before hugging Thomas.

"Yeah." He replied, ignoring Minho and going over to Teresa who was sitting in the row in front of me.

Newt came back to sit next to me and actually grabbed my hand and squeezed it, showing how happy he was. When Teresa tried to grab Thomas' hand he quickly pulled it away from her grasp.

"Awwww" Minho said. "That's almost as sweet as the time she slammed the end of her spear into your shuck face."

"True love indeed" added Frypan. "I'd hate to see what happens when these two have their real first fight."

"Uh oh, trouble in paradise" Newt whispered to me causing me to laugh.

"Oh don't even get me started on the two of you." Minho said tuning to Newt.

It was then when Janson busted into the room, marching down the isles clapping his hands. "Everybody take a seat we have. Few things to cover before we remove the Swipe."

Everyone stilled.

"That's right ladies and gents. You're about to get all your memories back. Every last one of them. As you were informed, the Trials as you've known them are over. Once your memories are restored, I think you'll believe me and we can move on. You've all been informed of the Flare and the reasons for the trials. We are extremely close to completing our blueprint of the killzone. The things we need to further refine what we have, will be better served by your full cooperation and unaltered minds. So, congratulations."

"I ought to come up there and break your shuck nose." Minho said, breaking the silence. "I'm sick of you acting like everything is peachy, like more than half of our friends didn't die."

"I'd love to see that rat nose smashed!" Newt yelled causing me to jump and the sudden outburst.

"First of all you have all been warned of the consequences should you try to harm me. And rest assure you're all still being watched. Second, I'm sorry for those you've lost, but in the end it'll have been worth it. What concerns me is that that nothing I say seems to wake you up to the stakes at matter here. We're talking about the survival of the human race."

"Let's all just slim it." Thomas spoke. "Let's hear him out."

"Why should we trust you people?" Frypan spat. "To... what's it called...swipe? After everything you've done to us, to our friends, you want to remove the swipe? I don't think so. I'd rather stay stupid about me past, thank you very kindly."

"WICKED is good" Teresa said blankly.

"What?" Frypan asked as everyone tuned to look at her.

"WICKED is good." She repeated louder. "Of all the things I could've written on my arm when I first woke up, it would have been those three words. I keep thinking about it and there has to be a reason for it. I say we all just shut up and do what the man says. We can only understand this with our memories back."

"I agree!" Aris shouted to loud.

And then the room broke out into arguments.

"It's bloody rubbish!" Newt yelled.

"I don't know, they might be telling the truth" I said.

"Tessa, they stuffed us in a maze, stole our memories and killed half our friends."

"But now they're giving us our memories back."

"I can't belie-" Newt was cut off.

"Silence!" Janson yelled. "Look I understand the lack of trust. You've been pushed to your physical limit, watched people die, experienced terror in the purest form. But I promise you when all is said and done none of you will look back-"

"What if we don't want to?" Frypan called out. "What if we don't want our memories back?"

"Is it really because you have no interest in remembering, or is it because you don't trust us?"

"Oh, I can't imagine why we wouldn't trust you." Frypan relied.

"Don't you realize if we wanted to do something to harm you, we'd just do it? If you don't want to remove the swipe, don't do it. You can sit by and watch the others."

Janson walked off the stage down the aisle and stood by the door. "You really want to spend the rest of your life having no memories of your parents? Your family and friends? You really want the chance of having no good memories you may have had before at the beginning? Fine with me. But you might never have this opportunity again." With that Janson opened the door and stepped out.

Thomas leaned into Newt and Minho and whispered "we aren't really doing this right?"

"There's no way." Newt said.

"Amen. Even if I did trust those shanks, why would I want to remember?" Minho said.

"We need to make a bloody move soon." Newt whispered." And when we do I'm going to knock a few heads together to make me feel better."

"Not too soon, though." Thomas agreed. "We can't screw this up, we need to look for our best chance."

They stood up and started toward the door, when Thomas opened the door Janson was waiting outside. He led us down several hallways until we were outside a metal door. He slid a key card and the door open to reveal rows of beds against the walls.

"This is how we're going to remove the swipe from your brains. Don't worry I know these devices look frightening, but the procedure won't hurt nearly as much as you might think."

"Nearly as much." Frypan repeated. "I don't like the sound of that. So it does hurt, is what you're really saying."

"Of course you'll experience minor discomfort, it is a surgery." He walked over to a machine next to one of the beds. "We'll be removing a small devise from the part of your brain devoted to long term memory. But it's not as bad as it might sound, I promise."

He pressed a button on a wall and a buzz filled the room.

"Wait a second," Teresa spoke up. "Is this going to take away whatever's in there that lets you control us, too?"

Silence

"And what about..." she became flustered, "is everything going to be out of there? Everything?"

"Everything but a tiny devise that allows us to map your killzone patterns. However you will have your long term memory restored, and we won't be able to manipulate your minds."

A lot of whispers and questions floated around the room.

"I think we're about ready." Janson clapped. "One last thing though, something I need to tell you before you regain your memories. It'll be better to hear it from me than to remember... the testing."

"What're you talking about?" Harriet asked.

Janson called his hands, "some of you are immune to the Flare...but some of you aren't. I'm going to go through the list, please do your best to stay calm."

Everyone got quiet. Stricken in fear. The only sound was the machinery's faint hums. I felt my heart thumping against my chest. So nervous. I had seen what the Flare did to people and I wasn't ready for that especially after everything is just been through.

"For an experiment to provide accurate results one needs a control group. We did the best to keep the virus from you as long as we could. But it's airborne and highly contagious."

"Just bloody get on with it!" Newt said, he had been standing right behind me the whole time. "We all figured we had the buggin' disease anyway. You're not. Reading our hearts."

"Yeah" Sonya added "cut the drama and tell us already."

"Okay then, most of you are immune and have helped us gather invaluable data. Only two of you are considered candidates now, but we'll get into that later. Let's get I the list, the following people are not immune. Newt..."

At that moment Thomas doubled over and looked like he was about to throw up.

"...Eleanor, Jackson, and Mary." Janson finished the names and a few girls butted out in tears and went I hug Eleanor and Mary.

I felt a heavy weight off my shoulders when I didn't hear my name but then something somewhere else felt wrong. Newt.

"Tommy slim yourself." Newt spoke up. His arms were folded and I could tell the grin on his face was forced.

"Slim myself?" Thomas questioned. "That old shank just said you're not immune to the Flare. How can you-"

Newt cut him off "I'm not worried about the bloody Flare, man. I never thought I'd be alive at this buggin' point," he gave me a reassuring smile and it was at this point I realized I had been staring at Newt as if he was infested in hives. "And living hasn't been so great anyway."

"If you're cool with slowly going crazy and wanting to eat small children, then I guess we won't cry for you." Thomas joked.

As on cue tears poured out of my eyes, but to hide it I went and hugged the other girls who had just found out they were not immune to hide how devastated I was about Newt.

"Good that." I heard Newt reply, mixed in with all the other sobs from the girls.

"I wanted to get that out of the way." Janson added. "Mainly so I could tell you myself and remind you that the whole point of this operation had been to build toward a cure. Most of you no immune are in the early stages of the Flare, and I have every confidence it will be taken care of before it goes too far. But the trials required your participation."

"And what if you don't figure this out?" Minho spat.

Ignoring his question Janson walked over to one of the beds holding on to the metal machine hanging from the ceiling. "This is something we're very proud of here. A feet of scientific and medical engineering. It's called a Retractor, and it will be preforming this procedure. It'll be placed on your face, and I promise you'll look just as pretty when everything is done. Small wires within the devise will descend through your ear canal. From there they will remove the machinery in your brain. Our doctors and nurses will give you a sedative to calm the nerves and dull the discomfort. The procedure will happen and your memories will occur as they did when you went through the Changing, but they will be nowhere near as bad. Give me just a few moments to make sure the medical teams are ready."

He crossed the room and exited through a metal door.

Everyone stood in a group and asked Teresa what she thought we should do.

"We should do it." She replied. "We need our memories back so we can be smart about things. Decide what to do next."

"How would you know if they're giving us back our memories or shoving new ones into our heads?" Minho said angrily.

"You're missing the point! Right now they can control us, they just said they're taking out the part that lets them control us. It feels legit to me."

Teresa walked away to a group of girls from group B.

"I don't trust her, anything she does I'm not doing." Spat Minho.

"Me neither." Newt agreed. "And I'm the one who's supposed to have the bloody Flare, so I have more stake in it than anybody. But I'm not falling for one more trick."

Minho, Thomas, and Frypan agreed, continuing to talk, Newt looked over at me. With a stern look he said. "I'm not doing it."

"I know." I replied.

"Will you?"

"I have to know. Who was I before this, who was my family..."

"I have a slim time left and don't want them anywhere near my head. I just hoped you wouldn't let them manipulate you."

"They're not, maybe you don't care about your past but I do, I'm going through with it and no matter how much you guilt or make me feel bad about doing it, I have to know."

Doctors started coming in, I turned around and walked to an empty bed and didn't look back at him.


End file.
